Antimicrobial Stewardship Flashcards

Which metric is most commonly used to measure antimicrobial consumption in a hospital setting?

Answer: Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 1,000 patient-days

DDD per 1,000 patient-days is the standard WHO metric for comparing antimicrobial consumption across institutions and over time.

A patient with a penicillin allergy history requires treatment for a serious infection. Which stewardship action is most appropriate?

Answer: Perform penicillin allergy assessment/skin testing to clarify true allergy status

Penicillin allergy assessment reduces unnecessary avoidance of beta-lactams, as over 90% of patients labeled allergic can tolerate them.

What is the primary goal of prospective audit and feedback in antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs)?

Answer: Review ongoing antibiotic orders and provide real-time recommendations to prescribers

Prospective audit and feedback involves reviewing active antibiotic orders and offering prescriber guidance to optimize therapy in real time.

Which organism's emergence is most directly linked to prolonged or inappropriate fluoroquinolone use?

Answer: Clostridioides difficile

Fluoroquinolone use disrupts gut flora and is a major risk factor for Clostridioides difficile infection.

In the context of ASP, what does 'de-escalation' mean?

Answer: Narrowing antibiotic spectrum once culture and sensitivity results are available

De-escalation means switching from broad-spectrum empiric therapy to a narrower agent once the causative pathogen and its sensitivities are known.

Which of the following best describes the role of an infection preventionist (IP) in an antimicrobial stewardship program?

Answer: Provide surveillance data on resistance patterns and healthcare-associated infections to guide ASP decisions

IPs contribute HAI surveillance data and resistance trend information that informs formulary decisions and empiric therapy guidelines.

Which laboratory result should prompt an ASP team to consider discontinuing empiric antibiotics in a hospitalized patient?

Answer: Multiple negative cultures from appropriately collected specimens after 48-72 hours

Negative cultures from appropriate sites after adequate incubation suggest a non-bacterial etiology, supporting antibiotic discontinuation.